The Kirwan House, home of f0rmer Maryland State Senator James E. Kirwan (1900-1908), and the adjacent store were built in 1889 from lumber from the Johnstown floodwaters that flowed down the Susquehanna River into the Chesapeake Bay carrying vast quantities of wood. The store was the hub of the Chester / Dominion communities, serving as a conduit for the lumber and coal that was unloaded from boats at Kirwan’s Creek on which the house is located. Senator Kirwan’s granddaughter, Mary Katherine Kirwan, willed the house and store to the Kent Island Heritage Society, Inc., who operate the property as a museum.
- Physical Address:
- 641 Dominion Road
Chester, Maryland
- Management Entity:
- Kent Island Heritage Society, Inc.
- Mailing Address:
- P.O. Box 321
Stevensville, MD 21666
- Admission Fee:
- Voluntary Donations
- Hours of Operation:
- By appointment and for special events.
First Saturday of the Month, May - October, 12:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.